Posted on 08/09/2006 3:55:58 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
With one of his ex-wives wearing a T-shirt that read "I Play Dirty," Eric Eugene Cooper pleaded guilty late this morning and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
State District Judge Mike Wilkinson imposed the sentence after Cooper, 30, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. A jury convicted him Tuesday of tampering with a government document for altering the car title of one of his wives.
Seven ex-wives and former girlfriends of the convicted bigamist, who is accused of pretending to be a U.S. Navy officer, sat together in a Harris County courtroom Tuesday as the jury's verdict was announced.
They were in court again today when Cooper, of San Jacinto County, changed his plea. He could have been sentenced to up to 20 years.
Cooper had requested that the judge assess his penalty instead of the jury, so jurors were excused Tuesday after delivering their verdict.
The jury concluded that Cooper, who has been married at least seven times and was convicted last year of bigamy, signed his name to one wife's car title without permission and forged her father's name on the document.
At least three jurors lingered in the courtroom after completing their service to watch additional testimony offered during the sentencing phase.
The jurors who convicted Cooper heard from five of his former paramours Tuesday, all of them petite women under age 30, who related the same tale of woe.
Most said he had claimed to be a naval lieutenant, boasted of having a master's degree in business administration and pressed quickly for marriage.
And most soon discovered they or their families had been ripped off in some way.Suspecting Cooper, each of them immediately ended her relationship with him.
Four of the women who shared their stories with the jury Tuesday had been married to Cooper, while the fifth testified that she gave birth to his son last year.
All said they recognized a white naval uniform displayed by prosecutors in court as one similar to an outfit Cooper wore while courting them.
Prosecutors recovered that uniform just last week from one of the young women, who said Cooper left it at her San Jacinto County home after their relationship ended.
In closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutor Dorian Cotlar pointed at Cooper and said, "This defendant is a wolf in sheep's clothing. There's no better way to describe it. He is a predator. ... a wolf in a naval uniform."
Defense attorney Andrew Williams argued that Cooper's trial amounted to "character assassination" and mudslinging that offered little real evidence of tampering with a government record.
Hasn't this man suffered enough? Oh the humanity!
Seven mothers-in-law is as close to eternal damnation on earth as I can imagine.
Too bad he didn't just do something trivial........like steal documents from the National Archives. I hear there's no penalty for that stuff.
A different headache for each night of the week.
"Can I get a salvage title ?"
I heard of a place called "Cash for Titles". Hmm.
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